American Nurseryman, Jan 2010

This seems like a reasonable question. Its one that often gets me into trouble or laughed at, depending on which group of people I am talking to. When I bring it up to nurserymen and landscapers, they tend to have the same reaction: They cant believe I am even asking the question be-cause they have been using non-natives, as well as natives, for so long that they do not separate the two plant groups. When speaking with naturalists and biologists, Im told they prefer natives and tend to be leery of ornamentals because of the inva- sive plant concerns arising from some of their past experiences with these plants. This is an example of both parties be-ing right in their stance on plants. This article is not about invasive plants or non- invasive plants; however, both groups of professionals should work more closely together to help shine light on truly prob-lematic plants. This article deals with the question: Does a plant have to be native to be sustainable? When selecting plants for the landscape, evaluate individually for ones that grow well in local climates, pay attention to soils and then execute proper landscape maintenance. Text and photos by Stephen Foltz The nursery industry has always been considered part of the green industry. Now, we see more and more industries claiming to be green. Just the other day, I saw a concrete truck with the words Go Green on it. How sad is that! Everything we say and do these days must have the word sustainable attached to it. At present, we are hearing that we cant just plant plants that do well in our area; they must be sustainable plants. Some folks will even go a bit further and claim that native plants naturally grow here so they must be more sustainable. We end up with a confused public and frus- trated industry members on the issue of sustainable plants. Does a plant have to be native to be sustainable?26 american nurseryman january 2010 N a t i v e s 0 1 1 0 . i n d d 2 6 Natives 0110.indd 26 1 2 / 8 / 0 9 4 : 4 1 : 2 9 P M 12/8/09 4:41:29 PM

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